They hang up pretty quick.
FReegards!
I got a call from one of them yesterday morning before I left to drive an hour to work claiming he was from the Widows Corporation Tech support department and my Windows computer RIGHT NOW was reporting to them it had many, many, many malwares installed on it. He would help me get rid of them. "Are you sitting in front of your computer?"
Since I had my MacBook Pro on my lap, I said "yes, I am," wondering how far I could pull his chain. . .
"We need to install some software on your computer so I can access your files, sir. I need you to check if your computer is online by going to the lower right hand corner of the tray and clicking on the. . . "
Me, interrupting, “There’s nothing there to click on.”
"Sir, there is so something there, right at the end of the tool tray on the bottom of your screen at the right. . . "
I keep my Mac Dock on the right side of the screen so there’s nothing on the bottom at all. "No, there’s nothing on the right on the bottom. How did my computer know to call you? Who are you?”
"We are Windows Corporation Tech support," heavy Indian or Pakistani accent, "we make the Windows 10 Operating System all computers use. . . You must click on the tool tray . . . wait we try another way. Go to start menu."
Me: "Where’s that?”
"Click on the round button on the bottom left of your computer’s screen. . . That is the Start Button.”
Me: “You’re pulling my leg, right? There’s nothing there. Are you SURE you’re from Microsoft?”
"Yes sir, I am from Windows Corporation, we write your software . . . The operation software. Unless we get the bad malware off your computer it will stop working. You must need to click on. . .”
"But there’s nothing on the bottom of my screen to click on. . . Where are you calling from, again?”
"Windows Corporation”
Me, "No, I got that. What city?”
him: “Red. . . Redmond. . . Redmond, Washington DC. . . where the Windows Corporation offices are located. That is from where I am calling you.”
I have the call on speaker and my girlfriend is listening and is trying not to laugh out loud.
Me: "My friend, I’m going to let you in on something. . . First, I’m a certified IT tech with over forty years of experience working with computers. Second, Microsoft, not Windows Corporation, doesn’t call users to tell them . . .
"Oh, yes sir, we do indeed. . ."
"Excuse me, but Microsoft doesn’t call their users to tell them their computers are infested with malware. Third, I’m not sitting in front of a Windows computer. . . I don’t have a Windows computer here which could ever have contacted any Windows Corporation . . . And although I’ve worked on thousands of them, I won’t have one in my home. I prefer something that gives me peace of mind. This is an Apple Mac. And finally, you, sir, have no clue whether or not there is any malware on my computer. You’re just trying to rip me off. . ." [click] silence. . .
They hang up pretty quick.
FReegards!
“Please hang on sir, as I’ll transfer you to our Apple support line.” :-)
Most of the time when they call now, I just laugh at them derisively as soon as they say “Vindows”, and they angrily hang up.